1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for loading a recording medium and, in particular, to a recording medium loading mechanism which is adapted to guide the recording medium to the recording or reproducing position of the recording medium by initially moving a holder containing the recording medium therein in the same direction with the insertion direction of the recording medium into the holder and subsequently moving the holder in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the recording medium insertion direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently there has been developed an electronic still camera system in which an image pickup device such as a solid image pickup element, an image pickup tube or the like is combined with a recording device employing as a recording medium thereof an inexpensive magnetic disc having a relatively larger storage capacity such that an object can be still photographed electronically and recorded into a rotating magnetic disc and the reproduction of the recorded image can be performed by means of a television system, a printer or the like which is provided separately from the electronic still camera system.
The magnetic disc that is employed in such camera system is usually used in the form of a magnetic disc pack. In other words, in such a magnetic disc pack, there is stored a magnetic disc in a rotatable manner which is capable of magnetic recording of still image information or the like, this magnetic disc pack is mounted to a magnetic recording device incorporated in an electronic camera or to a reproducing device arranged integrally with or separately from the magnetic recording device before it is used.
The mounting of the above-mentioned magnetic disc pack is generally carried out by moving a pack holder in which the magnetic disc pack is stored.
In the case of a pack holder of a slot-in type, after the pack holder is moved in the same direction with the insertion direction of the magnetic disc pack into the pack holder, the pack holder is moved in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the above-mentioned insertion direction of the magnetic disc pack into the pack holder, and, at the same time, members, which are used to set the magnetic disc pack, (such as a regulation plate located opposedly to a magnetic head with the magnetic disc between them, one or more center core pushing portions which are used to bring a center core provided in the central portion of the magnetic disc into engagement with a drive shaft, and the like) are also moved, so that recording into or reproduction from the magentic disc can be realized.
The above-mentioned prior art pack holder is formed in a bag-like shape to enclose the magnetic disc pack so that the magnetic disc pack can be stored in the pack holder.
Also, a loading mechanism used to move the above pack holder and the magnetic disc pack setting members includes a slider which is provided with a plurality of cams. That is, when the slider is advanced or retreated, the plurality of cams allow the pack holder and the setting members to perform their respective desired operations at proper timings (Japanese Patent Application 61-52949 which corresponds to Japanese Kokai 62-209768).
However, due to the fact that the pack holder is formed in a bag-like shape, the pack holder is complicated in structure and is heavy in weight.
Also, since the above-mentioned plurality of cams provided in the slider are adapted such that they prevent the magnetic disc pack setting members from being rotated while the pack holder is being moved in the magnetic disc pack insertion direction, and also that, after the movement of the pack holder in a direction intersecting perpendicularly with the magnetic disc pack insertion direction is ended, they are able to rotate further the magnetic disc pack setting members for center core pushing, the slider, which is a moving member, must be large in size and thus a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus in which the slider is to be stored must also be large in size.